Last year, Carrion, a former Bronx borough president and a former member of President Barack Obama’s administration, left the Democratic Party and became unaffiliated with any party. Carrion is seeking the GOP mayoral nomination, but he must secure a special waiver from three of the city’s five GOP chairmen to get on the ballot because he is not registered as a Republican.

“If I were a betting man, I would say that it does not look like we’re going to be able to secure a third Republican chairman to come on board with us,” said Brooklyn GOP chairman Craig Eaton, who along with Jay Savino, the Bronx GOP chairman, has been supportive of Carrion’s candidacy. “And you know what? It is what it is.”

Eaton said he believes Carrion is uniquely qualified to win and remains hopeful that circumstances will change in the coming weeks. “Until I’m absolutely certain that he can’t get a third, I’m going to stand my ground,” he said.

Still, “I think it’s fair to say that, at this stage, if Adolfo is unable to get a third (chairman), and that’s the way it appears it may wind up shaking out, then Jay Savino and I have a decision to make as to which other candidate we support.”

Manhattan GOP chairman Dan Isaacs said he, too, doesn’t believe that Carrion will be able to get the support he needs to get access to the GOP ballot. Isaacs, along with the Queens GOP chairman, is supporting John Catsimatidis, a businessman who runs a supermarket chain.

“I’m with John,” Isaacs said. “And as long as John is a candidate, I’m with him.”

If Catsimatidis were to drop out of the race, Isaacs declined to say whom he would support. But, he said, “I still think it would be difficult” for Carrion to get three chairmen to back him.

Davidson Goldin, a spokesman for Carrion, said, “Adolfo Carrion became an independent because he believes in a new kind of politics.”

“He continues to work closely with leaders of the Independence Party and fully expects to have their support for his candidacy,” he said. “Republican Party leaders asked him to enter into their process and that continues on track.”

In an interview last month, Carrion said he had no interest in running for a position other than mayor. He declined to say what he would do if he were unable to get on the GOP ballot, saying he would cross that bridge when, and if, he comes to it.

Eaton said he expects to know within the next two weeks whether there’s any possibility of Carrion winning the support of a third chairman. Eaton said he spoke with Carrion recently, and he said Carrion is continuing to fight for a spot on the Republican ballot.

If Carrion is no longer an option, Eaton said he’s considering endorsing one of the following three candidates: Catsimatidis; Joe Lhota, a former chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority; and the Rev. A.R. Bernard, pastor of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn. Bernard met with the GOP leaders Thursday night to discuss his candidacy.

Two other candidates interested in the GOP nomination are Tom Allon, a media executive, and George McDonald, head of a nonprofit group.

While the five GOP chairmen are hopeful they will endorse a single candidate, none of the candidates, other than Carrion, needs the chairmen’s permission to get on the ballot because they are all registered Republicans. (Allon and McDonald recently switched from the Democratic Party to the GOP.)

Bernard is the latest possible GOP candidate. Isaacs, who met with him Thursday, described Bernard as “engaging” and “charismatic.”